Potters Bar Society
Founded 1961
Founded 1961
THE LONDON GREEN BELT COUNCIL
Here is a link to the presentation given by Richard Knox-Johnston of the London Green Belt Council, to the PBS on 15th May 2025.
The following is an article from the March 2025 issue of the Potters Bar Society newsletter.
SAVE OUR GREEN BELT CAMPAIGN
We reported in the last newsletter that groups had been set up on local messaging apps to bring together people opposed to the building of a data centre in the Green Belt fields opposite Owens School
and to the application for 900+ houses opposite the hospital. Since then, they have been actively bringing the issues involved to local people. They say that
these fields are designated Green Belt to provide separation from London, have wrongly been downgraded to 'grey belt' as a political measure, are a popular place
for walking - people, dogs and horse riding with several established footpaths and rights of way and the views are extensive.
Residents are saying that the enormous buildings of a data centre and the high security fencing would destroy this countryside. The planned buildings would be
equivalent size of Heathrow air terminals, 23 metres (75 feet) tall, hugely visible even though the developer plans to place some in a hollow. There is concern
about water usage and electricity outages. The pupils and parents of Owen's school have been alerted about perpetual low level humming noise plus light pollution from security lighting. A petition has been launched online, and an awareness walk will take place on Sunday 27th April (3pm Bridgefoot Lane).
The message is that this is the wrong place for a huge data centre destroying much of the Green Belt separating Potters Bar from Barnet borough.
Despite opposition from residents, outline planning permission was granted in January to build the mega-data centre. The groups say that residents were misled
as it was not apparent to most of the town population that this development would actually be built in the fields opposite Dame Alice Owen's school alongside
Bridgefoot. This was because the development was said to be in South Mimms, adjoining the South Mimms Motorway Services and the consultation days were held in
Ridge village hall. However, the enormous size of this development means that it extends down to the M25 and within half a kilometre of the school. It will
directly affect people living in Dugdale Hill Lane, Rushfield, Kimptons Mead, and surrounding areas.
Meanwhile the application for outline planning permission to build up to 900 homes on Green Belt land opposite Potters Bar Hospital is still to be heard.
Residents of the Ashwood area, Cherry Tree Lane and Barnet Road have submitted over 1,500 signatures on a petition plus 500 letters to the council opposing
the application. They are joining with the campaign against the data centre in joint activities.
The groups can be contacted via local Facebook pages: "Save 85acres of Green Belt in Potters Bar" and "Barnet Road to Baker Street Have Your Say".
The Potters Bar Society Executive welcomes these initiatives to protect our town and its Green Belt. We will help in any way that brings the issues to public awareness although we are mindful that there are varying views within the Society about specific projects.
Margaret Ohren
Our popular guided walks take place on Sunday afternoon, once a fortnight. Please see the walks programme page for full details.
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